Small ruminants, sheep and goats, are increasingly becoming a major
source of animal protein in Nigeria, contributing over 30 percent to total
meat consumption in the country. The output of sheep and goat meat was
estimated as 100 000 tonnes in 1965 and 163 000 tonnes in 1980 (McClintock,
1983).

Estimates from the Federal Livestock Department in 1983 showed that
there are 11 million cattle, 22 million goats, 8 million sheep, 900 000
pigs, and 150 million poultry (both local and exotic) in the country.
Livestock production represents approximately 10 percent of agricultural
activity and less than 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.

In Nigeria, sheep and goats play a significant socio-economic role in
the life of the people: they are slaughtered during ceremonies and
festivals, and serve as a source of ready cash to small farmers. The skin
of the Red Sokoto goat is well known for its superior quality and the high
premium it commands in the world market.

PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN DIFFERENT ZONES

The main production systems are traditional, although they differ from
place to place due to socio-economic reasons.

Humid zone

In the humid zone with approximately 6.6 million goats and 1.8 million
sheep, the main production systems are free-roaming, tethering and
confinement. In the southwest, sheep and goats are kept by a large number
of rural households as free-roaming village flocks, with little additional
inputs. Mating is uncontrolled. Sometimes animals, particularly sheep,
are tethered to avoid the destruction of crops during the growing season.
Ownership pattern is 2–4 animals per individual.

In the southeast, the traditional free-roaming condition is being
modified by high human population density and increasing pressure on
agricultural land. Confinement and tethering are important in this area to
avoid damage to crops. Animals are fed household scraps, tree foliage
(commonly palm fronds) and by-products of food processing (Francis, 1987).
Ownership pattern is 3–4 animals per household.

Sub-humid/Semi-arid

In the sub-humid/semi-arid zone, sheep are grazed with cattle by the
nomadic Fulani throughout the year moving from north to south of the
country in synchronization with rainfall pattern and pasture availability.
In the system practised by the Hausas, sheep and goats are confined in
compounds during the cropping season, feeding them through cut-and-carry.
Tethering of animals is also important. However, in the dry season animals
are allowed to scavenge on farm stubbles after crop harvesting. Crop
residues such as groundnut haulms, husks, grain offals and cotton seed are
also fed to sheep and goats. Herding of goats by children and elderly
people is becoming important in the zone, especially in the cropping
season.

BREEDS AND REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS

Breeds

The humid zone has varying levels of tsetse challenge and therefore,
small ruminant production is limited to those breeds that can tolerate
tsetse transmitted trypanosomiasis. The zone therefore supports
trypanotolerant West African dwarf breeds of sheep and goats. In the
savannah and the semi-arid zone, the large sized, long-legged breeds thrive
well. These are the Red Sokoto and Sahel goats, and the Yankasa, Uda and
Balami sheep. The Kano brown and Borno white goats are believed to be
strains of Red Sokoto (Adu and Ngere, 1979).

Reproductive performance

Reproductive performance of 1.5 lambs/ewe/year, and 2.2 kids/doe/year
has been recorded among the West African dwarf sheep and goats respectively
in two village groups of southwest Nigeria (Mack, 1983). Survival indices
of the kids and lambs up to 90 days are 0.76 and 0.84 respectively (Table
1). Overall mortalities were 23.7 percent for goats, and 21 percent for
sheep, with offtake rates of 28 and 38 percent respectively. In the
southeast, where animals are confined, the reproductive performance among
the goats is 2 kids/doe/year with a survival index of 0.78 pre-weaning.

Table 1: Production traits of West African Dwarf sheep and goats in
southwest Nigeria

Parameters

Goats

Sheep

Litter size

1.49

1.23

Birthweight (g)

1.58

2.12

Pre-weaning liveweight (0–90 days) gain (g/day)

35.5

74.0

Reproductive performance (kid/doe/year and lamb/ewe/year)

2.2

1.5

Survival index (up to 90 days)

0.76

0.84

Overall Mortality (%)

23.7

21.0

Offtake rate (%)

28

38.0

Source: Mack, 1983

Little information is available concerning the reproductive traits of
sheep and goats kept under traditional systems in the subhumid zone. Bayer
(1984) reported fertility rates of 120 percent and 100 percent among the
flocks of sheep and goats respectively kept by settled Fulani in southern
Kaduna State. Mortalities were 25 and 22 percent in sheep and goats
respectively. At Shika in Zaria, Adu, Buvanendran and Lakpini (1979)
reported lambing percentages of 128.9 in Uda, and 112.6 in Yankasa sheep,
with overall mortalities of 14 and 6.3 percent respectively. In Katsina
sheep farm, a lambing rate of 110 percent was observed among the Balami
sheep (David-West, 1985). Among the Red Sokoto goats, Adu, Buvanendran and
Lakpini (1979) observed 140 kiddings from 96 does at Shika research
station.

CONSTRAINTS TO PRODUCTION

The production potential of the Nigerian sheep and goats would appear
to be high; they experience high mortality from disease, often aggravated
by undernutrition and poor management. A special problem is Peste des
petits ruminants (PPR) (Akerejola, Schillhorn, van Veen and Njoku, 1979);
Opasina (1985). Other disease constraints are pneumonias, parasitic
gastroenteritis, trypanosomiasis and ectoparasitic infestation caused by
sarcoptic mange as shown in Tables 2 and 3.

In heavily cropped areas, nutrition has been shown to be a major
constraint during the rainy season when animals have to be restricted to
avoid damage to crops. Undernutrition is also a limiting factor to small
ruminant production in the dry season.

Disease control interventions in sheep and goats in the village
production systems of the southwest have shown that nutrition could be a
constraint when mortality is reduced, and the animal number is subsequently
increased.

STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL RUMINANT PRODUCTION

Livestock policy

The policy of the Nigerian Government is to improve the nutritional
status of its people through the domestic provision of high quality protein
rich livestock products, to provide locally all necessary raw material
inputs for the livestock industry, to provide rural employment through an
expanded livestock programme, and to improve and stabilize rural income
emanating from livestock production and processing.

The breeding policy for sheep and goats is to select and improve the
local breeds.

Integration of sheep and goats into the farming system

The main production systems as highlighted earlier in this paper are
those of low inputs: no investment on land, no special feed or housing.
The integration of sheep and goats into the existing systems is a sound
approach, when one considers the low incomes of the small farmers.

Table 3: Prevalence by month of disease in sampled goat population of Fasola Villages (%)

DISEASE

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

J

F

M

A

PPR

-

-

11.9

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Orf

-

1.1

2.3

2.2

0.5

1.3

-

-

-

-

0.7

1.7

Pneumonia

5.2

1.1

0.6

2.2

1.0

5.8

1.3

-

3.9

-

4.7

1.7

Abscesses/lymphadenitis

0.5

1.1

0.6

1.1

1.5

-

0.6

-

-

-

-

-

Keratocon junctivitis

-

0.6

0.6

-

0.5

0.6

-

-

-

-

-

-

Helminthiasis

4.2

4.5

6.2

7.7

5.6

7.8

7.0

7.0

0.6

-

2.0

1.7

Trypanosomiasis

0.5

1.1

2.8

7.2

15.4

11.7

5.1

8.9

5.8

1.6

8.8

5.8

Babesiosis

-

-

3.4

2.8

4.6

0.6

1.3

-

-

-

-

-

Mange

2.1

1.7

1.7

1.1

-

0.6

2.5

1.9

-

5.6

3.4

1.7

Fleas

1.6

-

2.3

-

6.7

1.3

-

-

-

-

-

-

Lice

9.9

5.7

6.2

9.4

9.7

14.9

7.6

1.9

5.8

1.6

4.0

3.5

Ticks

6.8

4.0

5.1

1.1

0.5

0.6

-

-

-

-

-

-

Accidents

3.6

2.8

1.7

1.1

1.0

-

-

-

-

1.6

-

2.3

Other

2.6

3.4

0.6

1.7

1.0

-

0.6

1.9

1.3

0.8

1.3

0.6

Total animals sampled

192

176

177

181

195

154

158

157

155

124

148

171

Source: Opasina (1985)

Accordingly, the Nigerian National Livestock Project Department (NLPD)
launched a pilot development for small-scale sheep and goat producers in
southwest Nigeria in 1983. The programme which includes a veterinary
package (PPR and mange control) and establishment of browse trees in the
farmers' farmlands, is based on 6 years of farming systems research by
ILCA's Humid Zone Programme on how to integrate animal production into the
alley cropping system developed by the International Institute of Tropical
Agriculture.

The veterinary interventions would lead to reduced mortality,
increased animal numbers and a constraint on the existing feed source. In
the alley farming concept, fast growing protein rich leguminous trees,
Leucaena leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium are intercropped in the form of
alleys with food crops. Leaves from the trees provide feed for sheep and
goats (through cut and carry) and are also used to maintain soil fertility
(through mulching) for permanent cropping. In the southwest, more than 200
farmers are at present participating in the scheme.

In the southeast, where sheep and goats are confined for most parts of
the year, due to population pressure on land, the intensive field garden
concept is being evaluated. More than 50 farmers are participating in this
scheme up to date.

National programme on small ruminant disease control

The policy of the Federal Government is to alleviate animal health
problems within the country through disease control strategies.

PPR control

Recent studies by the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA)
indicate that vaccination against Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) would
result in over 50 percent reduction in small ruminant mortality in the
village production systems. The Government has recognized the vital roles
which these animals are playing in the life of its people, and accordingly,
the Federal Livestock Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water
Resources and Rural Development in collaboration with the Agriculture
Ministries of some states in the humid zone, has embarked on a pilot PPR
vaccination campaign. More than 50 000 sheep and goats were vaccinated in
two states over a period of two weeks. The vaccination programme is a
continuing process, and it is anticipated that more than half a million
animals would be covered within this year.

In the next rinderpest campaign coming up in October 1987, another PPR
control programme will be launched in two states of the sub-humid zone. It
is anticipated that over 1 million animals would be convered in the process.

Sheep and Goat Multiplication Centre

FLD sheep and goat centres. The Federal Livestock Department in 1978
started sheep and goat meat production in 3 sites: one for goats and 2 for
sheep. The sheep projects are located at Tuma (940 hectares) and Ladanawa
(800 hectares) at Katsina in Kaduna State, while the goat project is at
Zugu (14.5 sq.km.) in Sokoto State.

The objectives of the programme are:

To preserve pure breeds of Sokoto goats and Balami sheep.

To identify suitable management for sheep and goat production
through optimum pasture utilization, supplementary feeding as
necessary, controlled mating programmes, genetic selection within
the breeds and adoption of a sound animal health programme.

Considerable progress has been made since the inception of the
projects, and at present there are some 1 500 sheep at Katsina and 600
goats at Zugu. The major constraints especially in the Katsina project
(drought) are inconsistent availability of water, and difficulty in
establishment and maintenance of pastures. Few mature male and female
goats have been made available to local farmers with subsidies in order to
improve their local stock.

A system of recording of sheep and goats has started in collaboration
with the Small Ruminant Group of the International Livestock Centre for
Africa, with a view to determining their reproductive indices.

State sheep and goat centres. Sheep and goat multiplication centres have
also been set up by some states of the Federation, with a main objective of
providing breeding animals to local farmers. Such projects are located at
Pampegua in Kaduna State, Kaltungo in Bauchi State, Marguba in Borno State,
Rano in Kano State and Fasola in Oyo State.

Fattening of sheep and goats. The National Livestock Project Department is
making loans available to a number of smallholders of sheep and goats for a
fattening scheme.

Research and training

ILCA Humid Zone Programme. The International Livestock Centre for Africa
(ILCA) based in Ibadan, through an interdisciplinary team of scientists,
has been researching into ways of integrating sheep and goats into the
existing farming systems in southern Nigeria. Apart from the on-farm
studies, the centre has focused on basic collaborative research with the
national institutes to improve small ruminant production. The programme
also organizes seminars, and trains research and extension staff in
techniques for the establishment and management of alley farms.

National Universities. Various universities in the humid zone have
embarked on small ruminant research and training. Notable among these is
the Department of Animal Science of Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife,
which is researching on management of West African dwarf goats, in
collaboration with the National Agricultural University of Wageningen, the
Netherlands, and the International Livestock Centre for Africa.

Research Institutes. Among the institutes engaged in small ruminant
research and training in Nigeria are the National Animal Production
Research Institute (NAPRI) at Shika, and the National Veterinary Research
Institute (NVRI) at Vom.

NAPRI. NAPRI researches into ways of improving reproductive
performance of the indigenous breeds of sheep and goats, through breeding,
nutritional studies, management, animal health programme and socio-economic
studies. The institute has an out station at Ubiaja, Bendel State to
improve productivity of small ruminants in the humid zone. The initial
emphasis at the station is to breed, select and supply improved males to
interested farmers. NAPRI has also adopted a farming system research
approach to small ruminant development in the sub-humid zone, and the
institute organizes training and workshops from time to time. It works in
collaboration with the Department of Animal Science and Agricultural
Extension and Research Liaison Service of Ahmadu Bello University and the
Leather Institute of Nigeria, in areas of small ruminant development.

NVRI. NVRI researches into sheep and goat diseases, and develops
appropriate diagnostic techniques. Of the most significant is PPR. The
institute is engaged in providing diagnostic and investigatory services as
well as producing vaccine for disease control. NVRI has been organizing
training and workshops relating to small ruminant diseases for extension
officers.

CONCLUSION

Although a number of people have been suggesting a more intensive
production approach to small ruminant development in Nigeria, the initial
capital investment and management constraints associated with such a
venture may make the programme unattractive. In the interim, improvement
of the existing systems should be the main focus, until technology is ready
for intensive production systems. The importance of small ruminants in the
life of the people cannot be overemphasized. The Government is quite aware
of this development, and as a result, priority is being accorded to sheep
and goat production development in the Fifth National Development Plan.

Bayer, W. (1984). Traditional small ruminant production in the sub-humid
zone of Nigeria. Paper presented at the Second ILCA/NAPRI symposium on
Livestock Systems Research in Nigeria's sub-humid zone, at Kaduna, Nigeria,
29 October - 2 November 1984.

David-West, K.B. (1985). The role of government in small ruminant
production. Paper presented at the National Conference of Small Ruminant
Production at NAPRI, Zaria, Nigeria, 6–11 October 1985.

Francis, P.A. (1987). Livestock and farming systems in southeast Nigeria.
Paper presented at the International Workshop on Goat Production in the
Humid Tropics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. 20–23 July 1987.